Claims He Was Partially Sucked Out When Window Broke At 20,000 feet

A flight nurse says he's lucky to be alive after he was partially sucked out of a Piper Navajo last week when a side window broke causing a rapid decompression.

The aircraft (similar to type shown above), registered to Conyan Aviation, was flying as an air ambulance. It was reportedly at 20,000 feet while transporting a patient from Twin Falls, ID, to Seattle last Wednesday. Chris Fogg, a critical care nurse, said he got out of his seat to get his water bottle when the side window where he was sitting "exploded" as he was sitting back down.

He said he hadn't yet buckled back in and his head and right arm were sucked through the window, according to United Press International.

"My left hand was on the ceiling and was holding me in, and my knees were up against the wall," said Fogg. To break the seal, he said he had to push as hard as he could to get enough air between his chest and the window.

When he was able to return to his seat, Fogg said he noticed blood coming from his head and he grabbed one of two pillows from his patient and used it to apply pressure in an attempt to stop the bleeding.

He said the pilot knew rapid decompression had occurred and dropped the aircraft 10,000 feet, then made an emergency landing in Boise where Fogg was taken to a local hospital where he received 13 stitches.

The patient, a Vietnam veteran, witnessed the incident but told Fogg it caused some flashbacks of being shot out of the air. He was never in any danger as he had oxygen on the whole time, Fogg said.

Fogg credits his size, 6 feet tall and 220 pounds, with helping keep him in the aircraft.

"It was pretty scary, I'll tell you that," Fogg said. "I have a vivid picture of looking at the tail of the plane and seeing my headset dangling out of the plane," he said.

"I guess it wasn't my day to die," he said. "For anyone else, I think he would have been sucked completely out, but for some reason I was spared, and I don't know why."

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 22DT        Make/Model: PA31      Description: PA-31/31P Navajo, Navajo Chieftain, Chie
  Date: 06/27/2007     Time: 1141

  Event Type: Incident   Highest Injury: Minor     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Unknown

LOCATION
  City: BOISE   State: ID   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  AIRCRAFT ENROUTE AT 20,000 FT, SIDE WINDOW BROKE CAUSING RAPID
  DECOMPRESSION, PARAMEDIC ONBOARD WAS INJURED BY FLYING DEBRIS, BOISE, ID

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   0
                 # Crew:   1     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Pass:   1     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   1     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: BOI 2353Z 32008KT 10SM CLR 35/M03 A2988

OTHER DATA
  Activity: Air Ambulance      Phase: Cruise      Operation: Other

  FAA FSDO: BOISE, ID  (NM11)                     Entry date: 06/28/2007 #

FMI: www.faa.gov